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The Cu Lao Cham Islands

The Cu Lao Cham Islands, not far from Hoi An, has been recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Visitors who visit Hoi An can enjoy a one-day or overnight tour of the Cham Archipelago (Cu Lao Cham) in the East Sea, 10 nautical miles from Cua Dai Beach.

Cham is a 300 square-kilometer archipelago and is also called “Me Lao Cham” (Mother of Cham Island). It boasts has a 518 meter high mountain with three peaks (Ngoc Long, Tien But and Bat Lao), formerly the home of the ancient king of Cham Pa.

The region has both large and small islands, including: Hon La, Hon Kho, Hon Dai, Hon Man, Hon Lon HonLoi and Hon En, all scattered in the East Sea. Hon En (Island of Bird’sNest) is an island where a swallow’s nest industry is the work activity of the local people, who produce hundreds of tons of bird’s nests bound for Hoi An every year.

Visitors can reach Cham Island on tour boats or by speedboat From Hoi An’s Bach Dang Dang. Most resorts in Cua Dai (including, Palm Garden Resort and Spa, Golden Sands Resort and Spa, Hoi An Beach Resort and Spa and Victoria Resort) provide this service for their in house guests. Or, guests can sail from the Furama Resort in Danang.

Day trippers can take a tour which starts at 08:30 aboard the Song Hoi tour boat at Bach Dang Jetty. Sitting on comfortable chairs visitors will have a great view of the small islands rising from the sea, as well as the beautiful standing sea-pines.

At 10:30 the boat reaches Bai Lang on Cham Island. Here, visitors will explore a small museum and walk to the Hai Tang Pagoda, the oldest in the area. The local market at Tan Hiep should not missed before visitors re-board. The trip will continue to the eco-tourism area Bai Chong, where guests can snorkel and scuba dive in the nearby lagoon. While China Beach has been voted one of the six best beaches in the world, Bai Chong Beach is probably the best hidden beach.

At noon, lunch is served at a local restaurant on Bai Chong Beach, and there are several local specialties foryou to choose from, including a variety of fish and shellfish.

The afternoon can be spent trekking, kayaking, boating, swimming or beach volleyball, before heading back to Hoi An at 14:00, reaching the pier at 16:00.

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